Allianz Milano enters its third week of preparation and will play its first "six-on-six" – joint friendlies with regional rivals. These will kick off the season for many young players, including two Bulgarians.
Allianz Milano's schedule:
September 12, 2:30 PM – against Mint Vero Volley Monza (with Zhasmin Velichkov in the squad) at "Centro Pavesi", Milan.
September 24, 5:00 PM – against Campi Reali Cantù (A2) (with Nikolay Ivanov in the squad) again at Pavesi.
September 30 – second match with Monza at "Arena di Monza", time to be confirmed.
All training sessions are open to the public.
Our two representatives in Italy will likely step onto the court for the first time precisely against Allianz:
Zhasmin Velichkov will debut with the Mint Vero Volley Monza team in the first friendly on September 12.
Nikolay Ivanov will make his first appearance for Campi Reali Cantù on September 24.
The two were teammates in the Bulgaria U21 national team, with whom they played at the World Championship in China this summer, and now they are starting their professional journey in Italy.
Allianz will be without its main national team players and coach Roberto Piazza, who is leading Iran at the World Championship. This means more opportunities for young and reserve players. For Velichkov and Ivanov, these friendlies are the first opportunity to adapt to the Italian style of play and make a statement in their new environment.
Although they will not meet directly, Velichkov and Ivanov will likely experience their first Italian minutes precisely against Milano. This is an important start for both their careers and good news for Bulgarian volleyball – two young national team players are simultaneously starting their journey in the strongest league in the world.
